Ukrainian forces strike Be-12 amphibious aircraft
Illustrative photo: Ukraine attacked a Russian Be-12 amphibious aircraft (wikimedia.org)
Ukrainian defenders have struck a Russian Be-12 amphibious aircraft based in temporarily occupied Crimea, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"A hit on a Be-12 anti-submarine amphibious aircraft has been confirmed in the area of Kacha in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea," the statement said.
The military command noted that the extent of the damage is being clarified.
What is known about the Be-12
The Be-12 Chaika amphibious aircraft is a Soviet multi-role anti-submarine amphibious aircraft. It was developed as a replacement for the earlier Be-6 and designed to search for and destroy submarines, as well as to carry out search and rescue missions.
A total of about 140 such aircraft were built. At the time of its creation, the Be-12 was considered the largest mass-produced amphibious aircraft in the world.
The Be-12 is a flying boat with a high-mounted gull wing and two turboprop engines.
It was equipped with submarine detection systems, including radar and hydroacoustic search equipment, and could carry bombs, torpedoes, and other types of anti-submarine weapons.
In addition to military use, some Be-12 variants were used for search and rescue operations, transport tasks, and even firefighting.
According to Defence Express editor-in-chief Oleh Katkov, Russian forces have used such aircraft to search for Ukrainian naval drones.
Notably, in September last year, fighters from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) had already destroyed a Be-12 in Crimea.
